Get Ready for Kindergarten

Is your student entering Kindergarten this year? Are you looking for tips and resources to better prepare them for this big step? Here is a collection of tips and resources from our Elementary staff to help you!

skills for your student for a successful start in kindergarten

  • Read, Read, Read

  • Count everything

  • Play games that involve letters, numbers, shapes, colors

  • Do puzzles

  • Draw, color, paint, and write even if it’s just scribbles

  • Have fun learning new things together

  • Explore, discover, talk about what you see

  • Talk about being a Kindergartener

  • Have your child practice independence 

Self-Help

Here are a few things that you can teach your student to help them be more self-sufficient.

  1. How to open and close containers. Specifically, the kind you’ll put in their lunch boxes.

  2. How to pinch and tear packaging. (Pre-packaged snacks, ketchup packets, Go-gurts, etc)

  3. How to put a straw into a Capri sun pouch.

    It will take your child’s teacher a long time to circulate around the lunch table to assist. That means less time for your child to eat. (Also, your child’s teacher would really love to eat too!)

  4. How to put on a jacket so that the sleeves don’t get pulled through, and how to fix the jacket if the sleeves do get pulled through.

  5. How to zip it up.

  6. How to zip and snap or button pants. Practice with any new school clothing.

  7. Your child will be the star of their class if they can tie their shoes!

Personal Care:

  1. To go to the bathroom with the door closed. While it may be no big deal at home, it will be at school!

  2. How to wipe and redress without any help.

  3. How to pump soap.

  4. How to properly wash their hands.

  5. And finally, how to turn the sink off and dry their hands.

Social:

  1. How to wait and take turns.

  2. How to share and how to compromise.

  3. How to listen and follow 2-step directions. (First, take your jacket off. Then put it on the hanger) If you want to get crazy - try 3-step!

Language:

  1. Build vocabulary with them! Talk to them. Use big words. Explain what they mean. When they start to learn to read, it’ll be much easier for them to identify a word that is already in their vocabulary.

  2. Help them build their own language and memory by reflecting. Tell them what you need at the grocery store. When you get there, ask “What did we come to the store for?”

  3. Make them ask a question! Don’t let them say “I’m thirsty” and hand them a glass of water. You are being their problem solver, rather than having them find their own solutions. Teach them to ask for what they need. “Can I please have a glass of water?”

Coping Skills:

  1. Talk very intentionally about strategies to deal with emotions.

  2. “When you’re feeling scared, let’s try doing belly breaths.”

  3. “If you’re feeling sad, what’s something happy that you could think about to cheer you up?”

Resources for Kindergarten Prep

Activities

These optional activities are meant to be fun and engaging for your child and family.  They have been specially designed by Kinder teachers to help build critical Kinder readiness skills that will support your child's success in the fall.